A stark and dramatic weather divide has taken hold across North America, with Canada enduring a brutal and prolonged Arctic freeze while the United States basked in unprecedented Christmas warmth.
Canada's Bitter Arctic Onslaught
Northern Canada remains locked in an intense cold spell, with temperatures consistently ranging from -20°C to -40°C for several weeks. The chill reached a terrifying crescendo on Tuesday when Braeburn in the Yukon recorded a low of -55.7°C. This marks the location's coldest December temperature since 1975.
The persistence of the cold has been remarkable. Communities like Mayo and Dawson have suffered through 16 consecutive nights where the mercury dropped below -40°C. Mayo itself plunged to -50.4°C on Monday. Further south, Whitehorse recorded ten nights below -30°C.
Over the festive period, the deep freeze extended its grip. On Christmas Day, overnight temperatures in Edmonton fell below -28°C. Boxing Day was forecast to bring lows of at least -20°C across a wide swath, including major cities like Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, and Quebec.
Polar Vortex and Power Grid Strain
This prolonged and severe chill is the direct result of the polar vortex remaining anchored over Canada for much of December. This weather pattern has allowed a relentless flow of bitter Arctic air to spill southwards across the country.
The extreme conditions are forecast to persist into the New Year, placing critical infrastructure under severe strain. Officials in the Yukon have issued warnings about potential electricity outages in the coming days. The territory's power grid is facing record-high energy demand as residents battle the cold.
Meteorologists indicate that a gradual shift is on the horizon. Next week, the frigid air mass is expected to retreat northwards, allowing milder Pacific air to move across the United States and into parts of southern Canada.
Record Springlike Heat in the United States
In a dramatic contrast, vast areas of the United States experienced a Christmas Day that felt more like April or May. Temperatures soared to levels 15-30°C above the seasonal average, shattering numerous records.
Several states registered their warmest Christmas Day on record. In Oklahoma, Oklahoma City hit a high of 25°C, surpassing the previous record of 22°C set in 1982. Major cities including Austin and Dallas in Texas, and Charlotte in North Carolina, also saw temperatures climb above 25°C.
This unseasonable warmth has been driven by a powerful upper-level ridge of high pressure, creating a heat-dome effect that traps warm air near the surface. The pattern is expected to continue, with above-average temperatures forecast through Boxing Day and the week ahead, particularly across the south-eastern states.
The continent is thus split between two profound extremes: a Canada in the grip of a historic Arctic freeze and a United States experiencing a springlike December, highlighting the powerful and contrasting forces currently at play in the North American climate system.
